Covering construction



Oct. 11, 1938. J. A. TOPPI'NG COVERING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21,' 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1938. J. A. TOPPING COVERING CONSTRUCTION .-'3 Sheets-Sheet? Fied June 21, 19:54

INVENTOR Jo/m/ A. TOPP/N6 BYawed, r 3fm Yzo Patented Oct. 11,V 1938 UNITED STATES `covERnsIe.jcoNs'ilUtrrlorr y Y J h11 A. Topping, Bronxville,'N. Y; Application June 21, 1934', Serial No.1731,579

fs claims. (exploit-f7)` s rThis invention relates to coverings and'covering constructions particularly those constructions utilizing'elements laid upon a surface in overlapping arrangement. The invention more Vespei cially relates to the construction ofY roof coverings or coverings upon surfaces exposed to the weather. Y i

, Covering elementsrin the form of strips and used in the construction ofvroofs or to forma 10v yweather tight covering are well knowrin manyA forms. Such roofing elements ,haver been ,made

with a plurality of tabs separatedbyrecesses,Y

which `recesses in some cases are similar toV or complementary to the tabs or in other cases', are different from the tabs in shape.; iSuch, elements have been laid intoverlapping arrange-V ments to produce by the cooperationof the out-,jl lines of the edges of the elements, designsiof For example,v strips having Y tabs formed as one-half of a hexagon andwith different character.

Aa recess betWeen-thetabs of Ysimilarjshap'er may ce laid in such a way aste complete thehexagon motif in the roof construction. Also strips havy ing a sinusoidal outline of the, edgethereof may 25 strip, thereby to form a symmetrical motif in the roof. Other elements orstrips with different form of outlinev for the edge to be exposed rangement with thetabs lapped upon and bearf ing upon a portion ofV thefsurface of1 the u nderlying or subjacent element or strip.V f

The presentv invention is concerned with th constructive Aa covering kor of a roof` utilizing elements of the typejust'described and in various forms having generally a recess between tabs, f

which recess may be liliefror similar to or com- Y plementary to the adjacent Vtabsor; maybe dii-i Y 40 ferent therefrom. 'Ihe elements, however, whichl utilize according to my inventionrhave between the tabs arecess of substantialfproportions more' particularly with respect to `the vwidth thereof;

that is, the Ydirnensioniin thek direction or" the course in which the elements are placedg-In laying such elements heretofore? more or less regular or symmetrical designs .haVefibeenjob-- tained by the arrangement of velerrnents with respec't to each other andparticularly the arrangef ment of one course ofnelementsV withjrespectto Also as the'tabs usually bear merelyupon the at vsurface ofthe element loverlapped by the tab and more particularly` wl1en the` upperface 'materiaL vas Vis common 1 in i heat andthe weather.

be laid with the tabs tangent tolthe innerlinesV of the spaces between the tabs of asubjacent of the strip have been laid in overlapping ar-Y eflthaelemenis is Surfacedwith., granular mineral `derface of the' element and the'grit surfaced v upper face of the-subjacent element.

Notonly doescthe grit orv mineral surfacing material afford asurfacertofwhich the overlyingV element does'not readily ladhere but the under face of theelement is lusually covered with alayer of talc or `mica which prevents the bituminous coating and impregnating materials on the under kface of the element from coming in c'ontactfwith the upper face of the subjacent element.v

Itis an object, therefore, of my invention to 'provide` a construction utilizing covering ele-y ments or fstrips having tabs with recesses therebetween and laidinzsuchy relation toeach other,

and`v particularly onecoursewith respect to the sub'jacent' course, that the tabs may be formed or may. become* formed'after `laying in such a way S to resist the curling action of the weather andthe ltendency of the wind to blow up the tab.- I l i i wIt is a further object of my invention kso to construct the roof or covering that the adhesive bituminousf-materials commonly utilized to impregna'tefand coat covering materials exposed to Vthe, fweather` may have opportunity to contact fwith the upper Yface of a subjacent or underlying Yelement thereby to secure a bond which. will assist in preventing rtheitabs from blowing up and also will assist in preventing theV water PATENTQoFI-ICE j t from being driven up between the tab andthe Y underlying element or between portionsy of two superimposed elements. Y s f Afurthertvobject of myV invention is to prol videlan element or V strip ofrsuch form `and iconstruction that the`v bituminous materials carried by ftheelement or. strip may beppermitted to j bleedcr Yexude from Ythe element or strip so as `toV actas adhesive between two superimposed strips. 1 l,

` VIn'order-toV accomplish the objects of my Yinvention I may utilize ordinary strips of covering 'or roof Ymaterials having tabs with spaces'therebetween, preferably of `substantial extent with respect to the tabs, and may lay these strips in overlapping arrangement in courseswith the tabs fof a superimposed stripextending over and bending on sagging down into the space or re- Y the tab into Contact with the `upper face of thel f second strip below which is exposed between the two tabs of the subjacent strip over the recess of which the tab of the first striprextends.V

While in general my invention may find its widest application with strips or roong elements which have tabs of similar or Ylike form to the recess therebetween, the invention is not limited alone tosuch form of strips and constructions made thereof but may yapply to anystrips or other elements and constructions utilizing such strips or elements, which permit the sagging or bending down of the tab into the space or recess between two tabs of a subjacent stripto bring the under face, or in some cases only the edge portion, of the tab of the first strip into contact with `said exposed face of the third strip vor element.

Itl will be understood from the above explanation that not only may the tab KVVbe so formed as to bring the Vvunder face of the tab or its edge into contact with the upper face' of the element in the third course of three overlapping courses, but the tabfmay :be so preformed, or lt may be so deformed after laying, that a portion thereof sags/or bends or is fitted down into the space be tween two tabs' of a subjacent element. This,

' form ofthe tab not only produces a more rigid tab but is `of such fornithat the wind cannot so easily lift it and'blow it'up as is commonly ex' perienced/with tabs'of flat form llaid in the ordinary overlapping arrangement.

v Moreover, particularly with roofing elements having bituminous or asphaltic materials impregnating the body thereof or which are coated with Vsuch materials, the edge of the tab, particularly asit tends to bleed under heat, such asthe heat of the sun, after laying upon the surface or roof structure,brings adhesivematerial `into contact with theexposed face of the third course. Also,

these vadhesive materials may be brought Ainto contact withv the asphaltic or bituminous material bleeding from vthe edge of the second course 'beneath orinto contact with said edge itself, to cohere therewithv or adhere thereto and provide a bondjbetween the several elements in the several courses.'Y Thus, further prevention of the curling ticular form Vof the element which is part of my action of theweather andthe tendency of the wind to blow up the tabs is insured. In the par- Y inventionrhereafter to be described in connection with the drawings, this action vis assisted and a more secure and efficient bond is made possible by the particular treatment and form of the under surface of the element. Y

In addition to the structural advantages ob-V l tained by the particular construction of therroof V utilizing elements in'overlapping arrangement in courses as described above, I may also produce novel design eiects with elements of standard or common form, which Vdesigns are the result of the mechanical arrangement of the elements andr the relation of the extension of the tabs over the Y cess between the tabsfof a strip in a subjacent spaces or recesses between the tabs of a subjacent element.

My invention further contemplates the process of producing elements which have the under face thereof so formed as to assist the bleeding of the asphaltic or bituminous materials therefrom and into contact with the face of an element exposed between two adjacent tabs of a subjacent element. In carrying out this processI may utilize the process described in the patent to rOutman No. 1,426,497 in order to remove from the underface of the elements or from the sheetl from.

which they are being made the coating material usually applied thereto to seal the under face. I may, however, either remove this coating material by other methods, such as by the use of solvents, or I may prevent the application of this coating upon the particular portions of the strip, or of the sheet from which the strip is being made, which will insure that the tabs or at least the edge portions of the ,tabs are subjected to this treatment in order to permit the bleeding or exuding of the adhesive asphaltic or bituminous materials. In some cases, however, I may apply adhesives'of particular character to these portions of the sheet or of the tabs in order to secure the desired adhesive character when the strips are laid in a roof or covering construction. Moreover, in son/1e cases I may merely omit from these areas of the sheet orv of the strip the talc or mica commonly applied to the coating upon the under face of the covering elements or strips to prevent them sticking to other strips in a package when beinghandled or shipped.V kOther features ofthe invention and advantages to be obtained thereby Will appear from the following description ofthe drawings in which Figure lV shows an element of the type utilized in my invention; Y t

Figure 2 shows an assembly of such elements in the manner of the invention;

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig- Figure 7 is a section as on line I 'i of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a section as on line' 8-8 of Figure 6.

AFigure 1 shows an element lhaving a generally sinusoidal edge outline providing upon the element tabs 2l with spaces or recesses 3 therebetween. vIn lthis Vparticular form of the element the recesses 3 are of generally similar shape to the tabs 2 and are o-f similar dimensions to thoseV of the tab. The recesses, therefore, provide a space of substantial extent over which the tab may extend or overlap, as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted from Figure 2 that a substantial portion of the tab 2 laps upon the recess 3. In the particular Yembodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 this is accomplished by virtue of the widthy of the recess with respect to the width of `the tab. By suitably forming lthe under surface of the tab 2 or providinga coating of adhesive character thereon the tab 2 may be caused to'adhere to the surface Y5 of an element l in the second course Ibelow that of the element having theov'erlapping tab. Moreover, the edge` 'I of the tab for a considerable part of its lengthfoverlies the surface 5 ofr said subjacent element and may be .brought into contact therewith as well as with the edge 9 of the recess 3 where these edges intersect or cross. s

As will be more clearly understood from" the description to follow in connection with Figures 5 and 6, means may be provided for increasing cesses 3 than that shown in Figure'Z'so that the.

the capacity of the ta-b2 to adhereto the surand by reference to thersectio'n shown in Figure 3, that the edge portion of a tab 2 of an element A in one Ycourse may be bent down or may sagy or may be deformed so as to bringthe portion of the tab 2 extending over the recess. 3 of an" element B in the next subjacentV course into contact with the surface 5` of an element C in the Thusthe undersideY of second subjacent course. the tab 2 may bear against andV be caused to adhere to the surface 5 of the elementCand the edge 1 of the tab 2 may be brought into-contact with the surface 5 sothat the ladhesive or asphalticY materials exuding Vfrom the tabalong theedge 1 may act to bind the tab 2 to the surface 5. It also will be clear that at the points of intersection or crossing of the edge 'portion 1 Yof the `tabs' 2 with the inner Vedge Bof the recesses 3 the adhesive or asphaltic material exuding from these two edges may cohere or bondv` together,

thus acting to hold the tab 2 down to the sub.-

jacent. element and to prevent curling or blowing up of the tab by the wind. .c

f While the above description Yhas been directed to the Jform of element having an edge to be'exposed of generally sinusoidal outline and the freatures and functions of the various parts described are provided Iby the element shown Vin Figurel, otherforms and arrangementsyoffthe Velements may be used. For example,v the element, when provided, Vas shown in Figure l, with circular notches HJ Amay be laid with a greater amount of overlap or. extension of the tabs 2 Vover -the renotches l on two adjacent elements maybecome generally superimposed and with the edges with the surface 5 and to'secure adhesivek bond thereto. Y r Y In Figure 4 is shown a further modication of the invention in which elements having tabs` 2 of V shape are laid with `the edge portions or point 22 overlapping the inner portion 24 ofthe V shaped recess 25 Ibetween the tabs 20. edge 22 may intersect or cross the edge 24 vand the edge 22 may contact withthe surface 28 of an element in the second course below in the manner described in `connection with the'elements of Figures 2 and V3. The tabs may thus become deformed or may sagY down into the recesses 26 and may be adhe'sively bound to the surfaces 23 in the manner described ink connectionv Wi'th'Fgures .1, 2 and 3; Figure 3 also may. be con-V sidered as typical of the cross Vsection of Figure 4. In Figure 5 is shown amethod of producing upon a strip or element of the type' utilized in rnyinvention a surface on .theunder side ofthe tab of a character to provide or assist insecuringthe adhesive bond of the tabk to the surface exposed 'by the recess of a subjacent course over-v lapped by the tab. Y Upon aroong sheet 3070i? The.

Vsuicient width to permit two elements to be cut therefrom with the coursewise dimension of the elements extending lengthwise of the sheet I may apply to the central portion of the area of the sheet a band 32 of adhesive material extending lengthwise of the sheet. The dimension of this v'pband 32 of adhesive transversely of its length or face 5. It will be clear, however, from Figure 2,

transversely of the sheet may be suflicient to cover the tabs 2 or a substantial partof'the area of the tabs of the two strips. Preferably atleast the portion of the tabs 2 adjacent the outer edge 1 of the tab is coated with the adhesive material.

In the particular embodiment illustrated in Figure V5 elements I of generally sinusoidal outline may -be out from the sheet 30 by cutting said sheet 30 in sinusoidal outline within the widthY of the band 32. Thus twoelementsl vmay be produced from the sheet 30, which elements will have tabs with recesses therebetween, the

tabsof the elements being similar and of like dimensions to the recesses. It will be apparent from consideration of Figure 5 that the tabs will have upon rtheir area,which may be the area of the under face of the tab, a coating of the adhesive material ofthe band 32. It, therefore,

willbe understood that when the tabs 2 are bent Ydown orv Vsag into the recesses 3 inthe manner described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3 that the adhesive upon the under face of the tab may be brought into contact with the surface vented from curling up or blowing up when exposed tothe weather.

In Figure 6 is shown a modification of the method of providing'upon the tabs a surface with'adhesive character. In this yembodiment ofy the invention the sheet 30 may be coated in two parallel bands and 42 vwith adhesive material of a character utilizedY inthe bandY 32 to secure adhesive :bond of the tab tothe surface 5. The bands and 42 of adhesive material maybe o1' such width and may be so spaced apart transversely'of their rlength as to provide upon a substantiarportion or a desired portion of the end surface of the tab a coating of adhesive when the. sheet 30'is cut in an outline, such asthe sinusoidalV outline, to form elements having tabs and recesses therebetween in the manner described above. It will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 6 that the tabs on both elementsY may have applied theretov the adhesiveY coating if the sinusoidal outlineA is cut in the sheet 3|!` sof that the portions of saidv outline forming the vouterredges of the tabs `lie withinthe bands 40 and 42 of adhesive material applied on'sheet-30.

.'.Instead of applying continuous bands 40 and 42 to the sheet 30 these bands may be appliedas discontinuous bands having sections or portions 45 and 48 spaced along the sheet 30 in the direction of itsV length distances equivalent generally to the spacingY of the tabs as cut from the sheet 30 by the sinusoidal outline. If the'adhesive material is thus applied to the sheet a saving in adhesive material necessary Vto secure` the desired result is effected while providing upon the tabs'2 adjacent the edge 1 thereof the adhesive coating. Moreovenit will be clearby consideration of Figure 6, together with the description above in connection with Figures l,"2 and 3,

YVthat the inner' edge portion 9 of 'the recess 3 between the tabs will have upon the under face of the element some4 oftheadhesive coating so that where the'edges land 9 intersect in an assembiy of the elements I, as shown in Figurev 3, the adhesive "material upon the tab or exuding or bleeding therefrom may contact with the adhesive material upon the recess or bleeding or exuding therefrom, in order to cohere therewith and secure the adhesive bond desired to hold Ythe tab and prevent its blowing or curling hile in connection with Figures 5 and 6 the adhesive character of the under side of the element hasbeen described as secured by the application of adhesive material to thesheet 36 `and the subsequent 'cutting of the sheet within or in relation to the band or bands of applied adhesive material, within the scope of the invention this adhesive materialmay be applied to the` sheet after, cutting the sinusoidal or other outline insuch relation to said outline as tosecure 'ap-l plication of adhesive to the tabs. The application ci theadhesive to the tabs also may be acconipiished by applying the adhesive to elements which have been severed andr separated from the sheet, which application may be made byhand or by any convenient means.-

As referred to above, I may utilizethe proces described in the patent tor Outman No. 1,426,497

in'order to secure the adhesive character for vas shown inrFig. 8, with only,V a rresidual coating 5i thereon, theV structure of the felt base or other base 59 of Vthe roofing material which is usually impregnated with bituminous saturat orc-ther material of adhesive duality` By cutting the sheet in the manner described in connection with Figures 5 and 6 with respectv to the bands formed by thus scraping the sheet, the scraped areas 53 or 55 become formed upon the. tabsV 2. When these scraped areas contact'with'the sur;` face Y5 of the second subjacent element and when', under the action of heat or of the sun the bituminous materiais exude `or bleed fromI the base structure, ywhich action is rr'iadel possible by removal of the sealing coating normally 4applied upon the under-face of the roofing material to prevent such action, adhesive bond may be secured between the tab and the surface 5 to hoid theY tabV securely thereto. The bleedingJ c r exuding of the adhesive or' saturant material from the edges 'l and S of the elements as Vabovev described, rnay take place in the same manner'as when the adhesive is applied to the bands 32, d and 4Q. This bleeding or exuding 0I" the saturant material may occur because in cutting the sheet to form the edge oi the element the base structure saturated with the adhesive or saturant becomes exposed.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4 means may be provided in the Well known manner forgauging one element with respect to an element vin a"sub" iacent'course to insure the'correctfamoint'oi exposure. This gauging also will insure'thep'ropern relation of the tabs 2 to the recesses 3 and the degree to which they extend over the recesses. This gauging meansmay be provided, as shown Y in Figure 1, by an offset portion' l2 at one end of the element and a corresponding extension Mi at the other endl of the element iormed'r'espectively with edges i3 and I5 which may be used to gauge with the rear or overlapped edge i6 of an element in a subjacent course.

While the vinvention has been described above in connection with elements having tabs like or the yrecess of a subjacent element or may be permitted to sag into: said recess under the action of heat or or" the sun or under other action or force.V The invention also includes elements in lwhich the tabs, whether of like or similar form to the form of the recess, Yorwhether the tabs and recesses are of unlike form, are shaped or formed or molded with. a portion thereof depressed or bent down so as to provideV a form which will t into or may fall into the space provided by the recess.V Suchy formed, deformed or molded tabs may, because of the form thereof, be sufciently stiii to resist the curling action of the Weather and the tendency of the Wind to blow up the tabs in an assembly of` the Velements upon the structure. Various other modifications, which may be made While followihgthe methods and utilizing the forms'of elements described above, lie within the scope of the inventiony Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A covering element'of flexible sheet material for laying in overlapping arrangement in courses withY simiiar elements, said element have ing the portionthereof to b exposed formed with tabs extending from the body thereof separated by recesses therebetween, said tabs4 and said recesses being of such'form that theV tab on superposed element may'be bent down into the recess ofV an element inthe 'subjacent course, said tabs having a mastic adhesiveexposed upon the under face thereof to' bind said tabs toV the surface exposed by said recesses of the course beneath, a sealing coating for said mastic adhesive being sufficiently reduced where said tabs overlap said recesses topermit bleeding of said adhesive from said exible sheet material.

2. A covering element comprising an absorbent flexible base impregnated with a mastic material, and a coating upon the under face of said base for sealing said mastic impregnating material in said base, said coating upon aportion of said under face of said base being of a thickness suiiciently reduced to permit' said mastic impregnating material to bleed from' said base and to bind said element to the surface on which it bears. l @Y 3.' A coveringl construction comprising a plurality oi covering elements formed of exible base material with tabs separated Yby recesses' therebetween, said base material being impregnated with a mastic adhesive and' said elements being laid in courses in overlappingarrangement and with a tab of one course extending over a recess-of the subjacent course, the under face ci each element having a mastic coating applied thereto Yto seal the mastic adhesive impregnating the base material, said mastic coating at least upon theV portions of the tabs which overlap the recess being of suiicientlyreduced 'thickness to permit said mastic adhesive to bleed from said sheet.

JOHN A. TPPING. 

